Inside the Framework
by GroovyViewbie
Summary: When a strange woman storms into Leopold Fitz's office, he doesn't know what to say or think. There's something familiar about her he just can't put a finger on what exactly. My take on what could happen, set post 4x15.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This was supposed to be a oneshot but it got away from me so this will be a multi chapter set inside the Framework from Fitz's perspective. All characters belong to Marvel but the story is all my own headcannons. I hope you enjoy.

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Fitz sat in his office, pen tapping against the desk as he read over the reports from the latest weapons tests, disappointing to say the least. He crossed through another piece of information that needed redacting, before placing it on his completed work pile. Running a company had been a more interesting concept than a reality but he enjoyed his work and, more importantly, he enjoyed the perks of the job. Parties, meeting people, meeting women. Had he focused on science he never would have been here now. He was still a genius but using his intellect for profit however meant he could assure success and improve his confidence through meetings and networking. He barely recognised the shy young kid he used to be. Now he was something his father could be proud of.

When a woman came storming into his office, he frowned, almost certain it had been a red-head in his bed this morning. "Fitz, what the bloody hell is all of this?" Scanning her up and down, his lips curling up into a smirk. Nobody had called him that in years, not since primary school at least. Whoever this girl was, she had a confidence nobody else dared to have around him, knowing him and his family weren't to be messed with. With a proper look at her, he could see a scar over her left eye and several visible bruises on her wrists alone. She wasn't any HYDRA agent he knew and she definitely wasn't one of his technicians, despite the Fitz Tech lab coat she was wearing.

He stood, pushing his chair towards his desk and moving around it to lean against the front, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't exactly tall and intimidating but he knew how to give off the appearance of being such. "It's Leopold Fitz the Third actually. And you are?" Just as the question left his lips, his secretary, Agnes, came rushing through the door.

"I told you you can't go in without an a- Mr Fitz sir, I'm so sorry. She just burst through, I tried to stop her but she wouldn't list-" He cut her off with a sweep of his hand, shaking his head softly. It wasn't like the work in front of him had been so important and he could do with something fun. "It's okay Agnes. I don't have a meeting. Clear my schedule for the next hour, and don't tell security about this just yet." Nodding, Agnes walked out the door quickly, glad she still had her job after failing to follow protocol to the letter. He had fired assistants for much less in the past.

"You come storming into my office, no sign of any equipment so you aren't looking to steal my designs, no weird outfit so you aren't one of those cosplayers, and no protest has been made yet. Why are you here? And who are you?" He watched her closely, seeing she wasn't intimidated at all, if anything, she looked disgusted with him. What had he done to her?

"Ugh Fitz it's me. It's Jemma." He didn't know why, but as she said his name, it sent a flutter in his stomach. He didn't know this woman, he would've remembered those eyes anywhere, but the way she spoke to him, it was like he was human. Not a billionaire, not a genius but a normal guy. "From what I can tell I've started an underground rebel network of former SHIELD contacts and you have become Tony Stark. It's unbearable."

"Tony Stark is dead and SHIELD? That died with Captain America. What you've just told me, is that I should ring the authorities right this second and have you taken in for terrorist acts." He took a step forward, considering it for just a moment, but then he looked into those eyes again. How could he resist those eyes?

"You wouldn't do that. I know that she is keeping us apart because she knows I will help you figure it out. It's probably why she bloody killed me in the first place." Now he was lost. Who was she talking about? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let her stay. She was bloody crazy. "I know that look, I'm not crazy. You just need to snap out of this." She took a step toward him, her hand reaching for his arm in a too familiar and tender gesture. He flinched away from her touch, terrified she would hurt him, or perhaps terrified of getting attached to anyone.

"Okay, you aren't crazy. But I don't know you. I have no affiliation to SHIELD. Only through my clients at HYDRA who used to work for the agency. I don't know what you want." He didn't know why he couldn't stay calm, why he felt the need to keep talking around her. It was like a natural reaction, the nervous ten year old who wasn't sure how to talk to girls. Sure he could pass it off as nerves of the potential affiliation with SHIELD terrorist groups but who was he honestly trying to kid? Something about her made him want to be better, made him want to fight for what was right.

Jemma couldn't help but give a small smile at the familiarity of the situation, remembering their first day at the academy, how nervous he'd been around her. Aida couldn't programme that instinct out of him. "Oh Fitz, there's the you I know. Which is why I'm very sorry I'm going to have to do this." She reached into her lab coat, pulling out a gun. Instantly his eyes went wide and his hands raised over his head. Definitely should be rethinking that crush forming on the rebel holding him at gunpoint. "Now I'm going to be discreet about this. If you comply, then I won't have to use this."

Fitz nodded, starting to panic a little now, but a part of him knew she wouldn't hurt him. "I'll do whatever you want okay? You can have money, weapons, whatever you need." He needed to get behind his desk, if he could do that he could press his panic button but then what? She would be taken away, possibly executed and that couldn't happen to her. "Whatever you need."

"I need you to come with me." Taking in a deep breath, he nodded, watching as she lowered the gun. "Good. We will need a cover story so you're going to have to dig deep, in order to find any semblance of emotion for me." She said the words with a humour that didn't quite reach her eyes. If anything, she seemed angry at him, like it was his fault she was trying to kidnap her. "Get your coat."

Fitz followed her orders, opening the door, and going out to the reception so that Agnes could fetch his coat. "Agnes I'm stepping out with Miss Simmons. If I'm not back by my four o'clock, tell Mr Pearce that I will return the golf clubs to him some other time." He smiled to Agnes as he spoke, praying she had learnt the signals from the employee handbook. "Miss Simmons, shall we?" He offered his arm for Jemma to take, wanting to appear as a convincing couple to retain her cover, just in case she wasn't a murdering psychopath. It felt surprisingly nice, familiar, like he was used to having her body pressed to his.

Once inside the elevator, he took a step away, scared to get attached more than anything. What if things went south? What if he grew attached for her? To her, he was probably just a mission and, although it was illogical, it hurt that she probably thought of him like that. He watched her as she pushed the button for the roof, his eyebrows knitting together. If she was an underground leader, how would using his helicopter be flying under the radar? As if reading his mind, she spoke up, checking her pistol and handing him one. "We aren't using any of your vehicles. We'll be using mine, much less conspicuous. Only use Icer bullets. I know you prefer more lethal options but if anybody gets hurt it could be dangerous." He could feel them coming to a stop, his heart pounding in his chest. For the first time in his life, something exciting was happening. For the first time in his life things felt right. "One more thing, please be careful. Milton, west side roof, I have the package, send coordinates now."

As the doors opened, her hand slipped into his and the fighting attitude was dropped. Keeping up with this woman was going to be a challenge but he was almost certain that he could handle it. He followed her to the edge of the roof, seeing the 300ft drop from the top of his tower. If she was crazy, he was dead, maybe that was the plan all along, but really, it was one hell of a way to go. "Mack really shouldn't have taken that day off I insisted he have. Could do with security right now." He looked across to her, watching her smile, something he could tell was a rarity.

She met his eyes, her thumb rolling over the back of his hand. She knew the risks here, had calculated them thoroughly but still knew it relied on trust. He needed to trust her, and she needed to trust a simulation. "Do you trust me?"

Without hesitation, Fitz replied. Something he was sure he'd regret sooner rather than later. "Yes. I don't know why but I do." He nodded to her as extra confirmation of his trust, and with that, they jumped.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here is chapter two, thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed. i hope you enjoy this chapter, I am currently in the process of writing the next chapter so it may be a few days before an update but for now, enjoy!

Fitz's heart was racing as they fell through the air, fighting all instincts so he could keep a hold of her hand. Fitz's coat flapped around his thighs, his clothes hardly aerodynamic, unlike Simmons' tactical gear. It felt like they'd been falling for hours before they landed on something solid, Simmons ushering him over to a seemingly impossible hatch floating in the air. They both dropped down into a plane, an impossible plane that security should have detected. His mind raced through all possibilities as he caught his breath. "Is this based on my cloaking specs? My highly confidential cloaking specs." He turned, having lost sight of Jemma when they'd landed, finally seeing her just as she took a seat with the pilot. He watched as she planted a soft kiss to his cheek, his heart sinking at the small gesture.

Jemma looked over her shoulder at him, rolling her eyes. "You aren't the only one with the capabilities of perfecting cloaking." She spoke with a smile before gesturing to the pilot. "Meet Milton. He graduated the top of his class in engineering from the Academy. Milton, I know you're familiar with Fitz's work. It's sweet really, how enamoured he is with you."

Fitz took one look at the man and instantly felt his nose wrinkling. Milton. The name itself made him want to recoil and when paired with the hog face he possessed, he really couldn't understand the appeal. He'd perfected cloaking technology before he had and he was certain that's why he held an instant grudge against him. It had absolutely nothing to do with the kiss she'd given him when entering the plane. "It's Leopold actually." He mumbled under his breath, strapping into one of the seats.

"Sir, when Jem Bear told me that you would be our next mission, I can't even tell you how excited I was." Fitz fought to contain his smirk as he saw the wince she gave to the nickname. Maybe he didn't have as much to worry about. "And here you are. Really sir it's an honour. You know I was a little worried though. The way she talks about you, I don't need to tell you your reputation, I would suggest keeping it professional."

Jemma looked over to Fitz again, her breath catching as their eyes connected. With her eyes still on his, she playfully hit Milton's arm, the flash of a memory changing her expression from playful to a pain he couldn't quite describe. "If you think I'm that kind of girl, you grossly misjudge me Milton." Fitz shivered, having to be the first to look away. This situation seemed too familiar, the words identical to something he'd heard before, a memory just out of reach to him. "Not that Fitz here would want somebody like me I'm sure. His type is much more blonde with supermodel tendencies. Something I've heard from Hunter that you also admire about him."

Fitz switched off as they started to bicker. Maybe it wasn't Jemma that his jealousy was directed at but more the relationship they had. Jealous of the forehead kisses as opposed to the thought of Milton himself. His thoughts were interrupted when he was plunged into darkness moments later. "A blindfold? Really?" He stood up as a delicate hand pushed his back gently, the hands then moving to frisk his body and pockets. "I've not got anything that you should worry about. Just my phone and my wallet."

"But I know that your secretary will be tracking you when you don't return for the non-existent meeting with Pearce. I know you despise golf." The soft lilt and playfulness to Jemma's words made him mentally kick himself. The way she knew him as if they were old friends, did everything to reassure him that he'd made the right call in trusting her, but now, with no escape plan, he was rethinking that trust. "Don't worry, this is purely for your protection. We're doing what we can to save people, you being one of them."

Fitz could feel the plane landing, following the guide offered to him by the hand on the small of his back once the engine cut out. He noticed there was a lot of corners to turn around, doing his best to keep track of the directions he was moving. A new escape strategy, just in case. They stopped after he heard a door opening, his blindfold lifted from his eyes. Before him stood a man, about his height, a lanyard proudly dangling from his neck and a machine beeping behind him. "Director Simmons, is that who I think it is? Leopold Fitz, I am a huge fan. I'm Sam, my brother Billy doesn't trust you, the HYDRA connection but I know that's not who you really are."

"Sam, stay calm, he needs testing for a lanyard, just like everyone else. He's not that impressive." She pat Fitz's arm, making her way to the door. "Oh and send him to my office when you're done with him, there's a few agents he should meet."

With that, she was gone and Sam asked him to sit in the chair. He sat down, letting Sam hook him up to the machine, unsure what was about to happen. "So what is this? Some form of brainwashing? I know HYDRA has the capabilities so why not SHIELD?" He looked over the machine before shaking his head, trying to get a closer look but being told to stay as still as possible. "It's a quick lie detector. Nothing to worry about. Let's start with some baseline questions. Name?" Fitz sighed, looking across to the man. Was all of this really necessary to make a deal with SHIELD? If that even was the reason he was there.

"Leopold Fitz the Third." He replied, answering every other stupid questions that came his way. From why he was here, the simplest answer being because of Simmons, to a ridiculous riddle about washing up on an island and being given a box, his answer of course being that he probably owned the island so a map back to his resort. All of the questions seemed simple enough, until the last.

"Finally, do you have any association with Doctor Holden Radcliffe?" Fitz felt his heartbeat pick up, his brain beginning to pound against his skull. That name made his skin crawl, but just like his connection to Jemma, he wasn't entirely sure why. "Leopold, do I need to repeat the question?"

Shaking his head, Fitz looked up to Sam, the pain fading slowly. "The name is familiar I'm just not entirely sure why." He could see warnings flying up on the screen before Sam, knowing that meant only one thing, an impossible thing. He wasn't lying. "If I do know him, I've done everything in my power to forget that I do."

Sam looked at the screen before looking back to Fitz, holding a lanyard his way. "I don't know why she trusts you above everyone else but she does. So for now here is your lanyard. I believe she has sent Agent Morse to collect you. I wouldn't keep either of those women waiting." Fitz pulled himself out of his seat, taking the lanyard before walking out of the room. He looked down the hallway, feeling horribly out of place. He usually commanded a room, even if he wasn't familiar with it, but here, he was lost and vulnerable, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Fitz, this way." Looking over, he saw a tall blonde woman, his eyebrows raising high. "Agent Bobbi Morse. I believe the director wants to speak to you." Stepping forward, Fitz extended a hand to her, ready to get back to himself, ready to start flirting with the beautiful tall blonde. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Seeing the ring on her finger glinting, he shook his head, falling into step behind her instead. Bloody brilliant. Every woman on this base seemed unattainable.

They walked in a comfortable silence, Bobbi knowing he would have to get his head around all of this. It wasn't exactly a usual day for the billionaire but they couldn't waste too much time, the director had been clear about the directive and who to recruit, even if it went against their prime directive. It was a terrifying prospect but nobody dared to question her motives, not after everything she'd been through. Fitz could sense that respect, from how Sam admitted his distrust of him, to the way Bobbi knocked before entering the office, despite the open door. There was a burst of pride as Fitz walked through the office door, looking around the space, wanting to know more. There photographs scattered sparingly around the room, a few outside o an old English cottage, one of her and Milton together, her face free of the scars she wore now, but one photo stood out. A family holiday photo, inexplicably he could tell it was Perthshire. How he could know that, he had no idea, he just knew.

"Fitz have a seat." Jemma motioned to the seat opposite her and he sat quickly, picking up a metallic, potentially vibranium, cube while she talked to Bobbi. "Could you go get agent Johnson for me. Then I need you back on mission, I'm sending you, Hunter and Milton out. I'll give you any intel we find." Turning the cube in his hands, he tested for any interesting properties. No real markings, nothing that would make it sentimental, so why was this on the desk. "Put it down." Jemma's words pierced the quite that had descended the room and he decided his best bet was probably to follow the order.

"You remind of somebody. I can't quite place who but you're a lot like an old friend of mine. Same feeling I had when Radcliffe was mentioned in the lie detector. I'm assuming there's no coincidence in that?" He saw her push her glasses up, keeping her focus on the papers in front of her, seemingly unfazed by what he had said. "You're trying to make me remember something, I don't know what yet, I'm working on that but-" He was cut off by a knock at the door, looking out of the corner of his eye, only seeing a flash of black and blue.

"Daisy, Mace. Meet Leopold Fitz. Fitz, Daisy Johnson and Jeffrey Mace." Fitz stood up, ready to extend his hand to the two but felt his jaw dropping at the sight in front of him. "I believe you know them better as Quake and Captain America."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I struggled with this chapter a little so I apologise for taking a couple of days to you so much for everyone who has read this story and left feedback/followed/favourited, you guys make me want to update quickly and work hard on each chapter. A warning for slight mentions of physical abuse and blood in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy.

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Chapter 3

Fitz took one look at the man before him, stumbling back into his seat when it hit him. Captain America. Captain America, there in front of him. "B-but you died, HYDRA killed Captain America." He could hear a buzzing in his ears, knowing he was starting to panic now. They had heroes on their side, he wouldn't be able to fight his way out of here with the wall of man before him. She'd trapped him in the base, he'd trusted her wholeheartedly without any of the facts. She'd left him a fool, blinded by her beauty and that nagging feeling at the back of his mind.

Jemma frowned as she looked between Daisy, Mace and Fitz. "HYDRA killed Steve Rogers but a symbol like Captain America, it can't be killed so easily. Daisy here is a sleeper agent inside HYDRA, recently awoken. We need all hands on deck if we're going to find Coulson, May and Mack." Fitz looked over to Jemma as she spoke, trusting her a lot less, even with the explanation. SHIELD were hiding a weapon this whole time, ready to deploy an illegal hero on the world, how could Fitz trust that? He felt sick just thinking about going back to his daily life, interacting with HYDRA officials when he knew all of this existed. He knew the answer to his question the second he'd thought it, he just wished he had a better option, a choice instead of being plunged headfirst into a world he wanted no part in.

"What is it Fitz? You look pale." The girl, Daisy, moved closer to him, her hands held up in a gesture of peace. "You have to remember he doesn't know you. To him you're a ghost, just like I am to Coulson. I know this was important to you but the guy's terrified." She sent a pointed look Jemma's way, the director aiming an eye roll in her direction. Daisy wasn't afraid of her like everyone else, it was slightly refreshing to see but did little to ease the sickness he felt. "I trust Jemma and so should you. If you know anything, I suggest offering up the information." Fitz gave a solemn nod, not completely at ease at the young Agents words. "Okay, I should be getting back to the belly of the beast. I think I have a track on Coulson. A couple hours and I can find him." She offered up a salute to Jemma, both girls sharing a familiar smile, an inside joke between the two he couldn't quite decipher.

"You said Mack right? My head of security is Mack. He had the day off for his daughters ballet recital." It wasn't much of a stretch to think she was tracking down people close to him, he'd met May once during a visit to the Triskelion but Coulson was a foreign name to him. "Alphonso Mackenzie? I'm guessing he's the guy you're looking for. You want to take out anyone who would notice I'm missing." He made sure to get the venom into the words, showing her he wouldn't take this lying down, not completely. The initial shock of it all was wearing off, thanks to the reveal of enhanced beings, and now he was seething with rage, able to contain it just enough to not smash her office up. He could feel the pain burning behind his eyes, bringing his hands up to massage his forehead, hoping to relieve some of the pain building there. He could feel a memory flash through his mind, none of it making sense to him.

 _He was ten, sitting in his bedroom as his father shouted at his mother, saying things he didn't fully understand. Some things he knew, like how he was a useless waste of space, but he couldn't understand why he was saying such awful things to his mother. It made him tense, his knuckles white from forming fists for too long. His blood was boiling and sitting still was doing nothing to make him feel better. He needed to let his anger out so he stood and paced. When that didn't work, he stormed over to his desk, sliding everything off, smashing the glass that held his pens. The adrenaline pumped through his veins as his eyes landed on his mirror. Next thing he knew, his hand was bleeding, shards of glass littering his floor. His mothers arms were soon wrapped around him, the handprint on her cheek not going unnoticed. "See what you're doing here? Get out now." The tears were falling before he could stop himself, pain finally setting in. "Hey, Leo shh it's okay. I'm here now." Her lips pressed to his forehead, her hands soothing as they always were but his fathers words stuck with him. Words that stung much more than the glass embedded into his hand._

Fitz looked down at his knuckles the moment he was focused on the present again. He ran a thumb over where the scar should have been, the skin smooth beneath the pad of his thumb. The memories had to come from somewhere but there was no evidence to suggest it was real. Perhaps just a bad dream he'd buried deep. He felt something drop onto his hand, opening his eyes to see the blood that must have been running from his nose. "Fitz can you hear me? What is it? What happened?"

"I don't know. It was weird. It was a memory, only it's impossible." He took the handkerchief she offered her, holding it to his nose in hopes to stop the bleeding. "My dad was screaming at my mum, telling her I was useless, that I didn't deserve to be a Leopold. But that's not possible, he was always so supportive. Without him I wouldn't be where I am today." He searched the room, his eyes landing on Jemma as if it were a natural instinct to find her. Something was very wrong. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he jolted up, his left hand moving to the place where the hand was a moment before. "Was this you? Did you plant these fake memories?"

Jemma was visibly shocked and Mace just looked confused. Surely it had to be the plan, plant fake memories so he would trust SHIELD. "We don't have the capabilities to do that. Mace, have you experienced anything similar with memories surfacing?"

"Nothing to report Director." Hearing the words, Fitz couldn't take it anymore. They were lying to him, working together to make him believe things that weren't true. He felt like he was suffocating, air knocked from his lungs. The feeling bought another memory flooding back, a memory of a box, surrounded by water, waking up in a hospital bed with Jemma at his side. If he needed confirmation that these memories were made by SHIELD, this was it.

"Stay away from me." As he spoke, he pushed Mace back, running out of the office and down the hallway. He moved as quickly as he could, bumping into a man, a beer bottle smashing between them.

"Hey watch where you're going mate." An rough English accent greeted him, a pair of hands resting on his shoulders. "Are you alright? You're looking a little pale there. Come on, I'll get you a drink." Before he could protest, Fitz felt himself being guided into a kitchen area, a bottle soon in his hands. "I see your hiding from our fearless leader and Captain square jaw. You've got bigger balls than me mate. I'm just hiding from my wife and the sketchy engineer. We're set for a mission, I'm thinking if I get hammered enough, I get to stay here. Hunter by the way. Like you, I'm a fan of the last name thing."

Fitz was still trying to get his head around what had happened back in the office, struggling to keep up with the man sat across from him. "I uh, I actually prefer Leopold." He took a large gulp of his beer, eyes trained carefully on the hand holding the bottle. He could vaguely hear Hunter babbling about the agents on the base but he wasn't focused on the words being formed. Instead, his concentration remained focused on his hand. The glass had gone through his skin, he could remember how it felt, almost remember the sensation of it. How was that possible? He took another large gulp of the beer, the bottle falling from his hands when he saw it.

"Bloody hell mate, are you sure you're okay? That's two bottles smashed now." In any other situation, Fitz would be laughing, smiling at a push but not right now. Not when he was looking at a scar. An impossible scar that hadn't been there seconds before. It was faded, old, and exactly where he'd remembered it being. He felt himself falling backwards, his head hitting the floor, everything around him going black.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I'm sorry this chapter took longer than I thought it would. I'm in my last year of uni so I have had deadlines. Unfortunately that means my writing had to take a backseat. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks again to all of the readers, reviewers, followers and favourites.

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Chapter 4

 _Opening his eyes, he saw Jemma sitting next to him, her hand in his and a toy monkey sat on the bed with him. His head felt heavy and his arm stung when he tried to stretch out. Fitz wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but with Simmons asleep next to him he could tell it was late in the day, maybe the middle of the night, he couldn't be sure. He tried to move his hand away from hers, feeling it shake as he reached for the toy monkey. He had to focus hard, concentrate in order to curl his fingers into the fur but he couldn't keep the grasp for long, letting his hand fall back to his side. Opening his mouth, he tried to form the words to wake her but he couldn't get them out. They were right there, on the tip of his tongue but forming them felt impossible. "I uh, I-" His eyes shut tightly, creases forming in his forehead as he searched for her name, the pain escalating quickly._

Fitz woke with a start, looking around the room he was now in. He was in a bed, white walls encasing him in to a small box room. His head ached with every beep of the monitors surrounding him. There was a bruise forming on the side of his head, his eyes fixing themselves to the scar on his hand. It was small, barely visible. It would have gone unnoticed if he hadn't been certain it was there. A small jagged cut, almost twenty years old, faded with age. It was impossible, appearing only hours before rather than years. All because of SHIELD. How they were doing it, he wasn't certain, but he was positive he would figure it out. They'd make a mistake, they always did.

The door opened, Jemma walking into the room, wearing a SHIELD lab coat with one of his own tablets resting in the crook of her arm. Her hair now scraped back into a ponytail, showing some smaller scars and bruises scattering over her face. Small white lines, more precise than the one resting between his knuckles. There was no denying her beauty, even if she was the leader of an evil organisation. "You're awake. That's good. Hunter said you were looking at your hand and then you fell." He could see her trying to glance at his hand, covering it quickly with the blanket on his bed. "You ran off before I could explain."

Fitz shook his head, the pain surfacing at the sudden movement. "Nothing to explain. You're messing with my head. I know what's going on." Jemma rolled her eyes at that and he couldn't understand why. She reached behind her back, presenting a toy monkey, similar to the one from his dream. "What's this?"

"Well I know you own a real one here but the Fitz I knew was content with a toy whenever he got knocked out, which happened a lot." That really made no sense. The Fitz she knew? Other than his father and mother, there was no other Fitz. He had no siblings, no cousins with the name, so what Fitz did she know?

"Let me guess? Parallel universes and the multiverse? I don't believe in all that. I'm sorry if you believe you know me, but you don't." He turned away, from her and the monkey, eyes fixing on a small smudge on the ceiling above him. "I want to go back to my office now. You can't keep me hostage forever." He was aware that he sounded like a brat, like the only child his mother always warned him not to become. He couldn't help it though, standing up to her was his only option.

"Fitz, it isn't like that. We didn't do anything to you. Unfortunately, the fact you having these outbursts means we can't let you go yet." The news hit him hard, like the memory from the box under the sea. It was like the air was being knocked from him, the already small walls closing in on him. "You're remembering, and remembering means that you'll understand soon. I fear however that if I let you go you won't have any reason to keep remembering."

"Yes but what exactly am I remembering? The life I'm remembering isn't even mine." He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezing closed as the searing pain in his head returned.

 _"Sorry Fitz" He was about to turn around when he felt a pain at the base of his neck, collapsing down into the floor. The next time_ _it happened he'd been talking to a woman, her hand resting on his shoulder as she told him he needed to guard Sif's cell. Jemma had come to rescue the Asgardian, how had she even escaped the med-bay? He never should have underestimated her genius really, that was his pivotal mistake. He followed her down to the cargo hold, confused as Coulson's fist flew at his face. He remembered a train, a man attacking him and Skye, the vague memory of a terrible Scottish accent also surfacing. Jemma came running in through the door, her voice an octave higher than usual as she assessed the situation. It was a blur as the grenade exploded, her body falling still before him. His touch was gentle as he closed her eyes, knowing how embarrassed she would have been if she could see herself._

He was gasping for breath as the pain dissipated, trying desperately to sort through the flashes of memory, to organise them with the flashes he had already had. The more he saw these flashes, the less sure he was about SHIELD's involvement with them, knowing the technology for memory alteration would be a much longer and painful process. He still didn't trust them but he at least knew he wasn't going to die here. "There're flashes of a life that isn't mine. You're there and Daisy, there was one at home, one under the sea. Daisy was called Skye?" He shrugged, picking up the monkey from his side, running a hand through the fur. "He was there too. A situation a lot like this actually."

Jemma couldn't help but smile, doing everything in her power not to reach for his hand and comfort him. "I thought he would help you remember things. I don't know how far we should push you, Mace isn't remembering so we really need you to wake up. Or we need to find Coulson, or May, or Mack."

Fitz sighed, reaching over for her hand, a completely natural instinct to him. "I'll try. I don't know why I'm trying or what the outcome is but I'll help. I don't trust you but I'll do as much as I can." He squeezed her hand, leaning back on the bed. "You didn't have to do this." He gestured to the monkey as he spoke, his lips lifting into a small smile. He could feel himself drifting, sleep taking over once more. The memories drained him, but he knew they were important to Jemma. He drifted to sleep, monkey clutched to his chest and his hand in Jemma's. "Love you Jemma." He mumbled automatically, sleep taking over once more.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Here is the next chapter to Inside the Framework. I'm finding Sundays to be my best day for writing inspiration so I will aim to get a chapter out every Sunday. Thanks again to all of the reviewers, followers, favourites and readers who give me the drive to write. I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 5

Fitz woke to a loud alarm, his hand reaching over to the bedside table, trying to find the source but all he could find was a sticky note. He carefully opened one eye, reading the note from Jemma, vaguely aware he'd fallen asleep with his hand in hers, the words that fell from his lips all but forgotten. 'Fitz, I have work to do. If you feel better, I suggest you get some food. I have drawn a map on the back of this post-it.' The alarm was still blaring, and now he was awake, he could tell that it wasn't an alarm to wake him but rather a security feature. He slipped on some shoes, moving out of the door to follow the map. As he worked his way through the corridors, agents rushed by him in the other direction. Despite an instinct to follow, he kept walking, finding the kitchen, where a few hours (of was it days) ago he'd been drinking beers with Hunter. He saw Daisy waiting for him, offering up a wrapped parcel to him. "Jemma left this for you. She said she's sorry but there's an attack on the base and she has to deal with it."

As Daisy spoke, he unwrapped the package, the smell familiar yet completely foreign to him. Inside the paper sat a sandwich, something he couldn't help but be a little suspicious of. "The director took time out of her busy day of fighting attackers to make me a sandwich?" Daisy simply nodded in response, jumping up on the counter. "Okay. That makes complete sense." He wasn't expecting much as he bit into it but, in a very rare instance, he was wrong. "This is the best sandwich I've ever tasted."

Daisy rolled her eyes, jumping back down to lead him to the couches and TV, handing him a controller. "Director Simmons wants us to lay low. If it's HYDRA they can't see me and if it's somebody here for you, Jemma will freak out. So, here we are." There was a tone of humour in we voice, as if there was no real threat to them. Maybe it was just a drill and Jemma didn't want him in the way. "Play with me?"

Fitz looked down at the controller, nodding his head. They played for a while, in silence before Daisy spoke up again. "So director Simmons is cute right? I mean in the whole badass, Scarface but actually really sweet and shy kind of way?" Fitz almost choked on his sandwich, attention turning to Daisy, not noticing his character blowing up on the screen.

"Jemma? Not my type. At all." He could feel a blush rising into his cheeks, thinking through her words. He had noticed how beautiful she was but she deserved better than him, somebody ready to commit. Somebody like Milton. "She has a boyfriend anyway. So it doesn't matter. W-why would you even suggest- I mean, you guys are close so why- why would you even want her to cheat on Milton."

Daisy rolled her eyes, nudging his side a little harder than he would have liked. "Please. You have a crush on her. Fitzsimmons. Got a nice ring to it don't you think?" Fitz was about to respond, a witty retort ready on his tongue, but he was stopped by the sound of gunfire, a chill running through him. On instinct, he jumped up, rushing through the corridors, almost certain he would get lost but he didn't care. He wanted to be sure that everyone was safe. That Jemma was safe.

 _He saw a man he didn't recognise, an agent maybe, he wasn't sure. "Everything is falling apart around us. We don't know how it'll end. If there's something you want to tell her, don't wait." He remembers not following that advice, a flash of sitting around a pool, a sense of reassurance running through him. Then he was back in the box, her lips pressing to his cheeks, over his face, tears mixing in with her soft lips. Dread and fear overtook the reassuring feeling, knowing time was running out._

 _He was in a suit, confident and in a country he didn't fully recognise. He knew he was searching for something, being dragged off to stand face to face with a man. Terror ran through him as he faced this man, determined to get her back. "Only love can make a man so stupid." There was a flash and suddenly he was face to face with Jemma again, a new kind of terror overcame him as he took her cold hands in his. She bounced down on the bed, his lips on hers as he carefully worked off her jacket and blouse. He took extra care with the jewels around her neck, knowing they needed to get back to base in one piece. His heart pounded in his chest as her cold hands worked off his shirt, his lips moving lower, placing gentle kisses onto her skin. This was the moment, the line he'd been so scared to cross, but it was easy. There was no awkwardness, unlike his first time with Rosie at the academy, no falling out of rhythm, they were a perfect melody together and he never wanted it to end._

Fitz could feel the blood dripping from his nose again, wiping it away with the back of his hand as he ran in the direction of the sound. If he was worried before, the most recent memory flashes sent him over the edge. He turned a corner, seeing Jemma poised with a gun towards the entrance, able to hear something beating on the door from the other side. This was it, his exit, his escape, but did he really want all that now? "Jemma what's going on? Who is on the other side of that door?"

"Fitz? You shouldn't be here. Davis, get Fitz back to the lab or kitchen." Fitz shook his head as he was handed off to some red shirt he hadn't met yet, stubborn to stay and see what was happening here. Davis hesitated as he looked between the two, his fear for the director slightly outweighing his admiration of the CEO. Only slightly. "This isn't up for debate. That's an order Davis."

Fitz felt the pain in his head when he heard the name a second time, shorter and less clear memories barely surfacing. Jemma leaving with the man, a woman that looked like his assistant injecting him with something, his screams of protest muffled by the drugs in his system. "At least Jemma's safe with Davis."

The two turned to him in confusion, dropping their guard as he blinked back into reality. "Is he okay? Why the hell does this guy think you need me to be safe?" Jemma's initial confused expression quickly smoothed out into one of indifference, her eyes holding the true pain and longing she felt. "Director what are my orders?"

Fitz barely listened to Davis and Jemma, his mind occupied on the memories, no matter how painful it was to focus on them. They had to be real, he knew that now. Agnes was a new employee, SHIELD couldn't have possibly known he was going to hire her, yet there she was in these memories that conflicted his own ones vastly. He just needed to understand how each moment fit together.

"Fitz, they are almost through the door. You have to get out of here now." The tone of Jemma's voice was pleading and not the authoritative tone she used on Davis, snapping him from his thoughts to come back to reality, watching as the door struggled to hold with each bullet, explosion and battering. "Davis get him out." He willingly accepted the orders now, starting to walk off, turning back one last time to look at Jemma.

"Be careful Jemma." He muttered under his breath as Davis handed him a gun.

The door bashed open, everyone on guard once more, Fitz barely able to move as he saw the figures walking through the hole. "Mr Fitz, this way." He held a hand up to Davis, walking back towards the small group of agents. "Sir... you need to come with me."

It took a moment for Fitz's eyes to adjust, the dust settling. As soon as they did, he felt his eyebrows knit together, his jaw going slightly slack. Beside him, he heard Jemma gasp, clearly recognising the man. "You." She said the word with such venom and disgust, he couldn't put his finger on why.

"Dad. What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?" He took a step forward, wondering why Jemma hadn't ordered for people to lower their weapons yet, why she herself hadn't. "Dad I'm okay. It's all okay."

"Son I-" He was cut off by the bullet piercing his chest, his body going slack, falling in a heap on the floor. Fitz turned, seeing Jemma with her finger on the trigger.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Fitz watched in horror as his fathers body crumpled to the floor. His heart pounded in his ears as he went to move forward, hands grabbing him to pull him backwards. He had to fight them off, he had to get to his father, not understanding why they wouldn't let him see his father. Just as he was starting to trust SHIELD, to trust Jemma, she does this. "How- Why...?" The words fell from his lips without fully being formulated into anything further than vague questions that trailed off before he really knew what to say.

"Get him to the interrogation room and get Fitz to a bunk." Jemma spoke as if completely detached from the situation, as if this was just another mission to her. He felt them trying to drag him away, fighting against his restraints. "Fitz please, go. You shouldn't even have been here."

"You shot my dad. You killed my dad!" Fitz could feel the rage building as he spoke. He looked between the two men holding him back, seeing their muscles, knowing that the build up of adrenaline meant he could do something to free himself. "You are going to pay for this Jemma." He kicked out at the legs of the man on his left, moving his arms to flip the one on his right, his breathing heavy as the adrenaline pumped around his body. Stepping towards Jemma, he watched as she cocked her gun. When the bullet flew towards him, he knew there was nothing he could do. It penetrated his leg, the pain radiating through him, adrenaline dissipating on impact, feeling something replace it in his bloodstream. Unable to keep his eyes open, Fitz let sleep overcome him, his last thought focused on Jemma's betrayal.

He woke in a white room again, this time it was smaller and more simple than the hospital room he'd been in before. There was only a simple cot on one wall, a window on the opposite wall looking out onto a large white room. "What the... so this is heaven then?"

He heard a laugh, looking around to see Jemma in the larger room. His hands curled into fists, his anger returning as he remembered. He started to pound against the glass, knowing it was useless the moment he realised what the pod was made from. "Fitz, calm down. You're okay. So is your father." He watched as she turned on a screen, seeing his father and Daisy talking. So not dead then? He needed to understand what was in those bullets, some sort of biological substance that causes paralysis. Clever. "So far we have discovered that your father knows Radcliffe, that he has an arrangement involving you and him and that the both of them have strong links to HYDRA." At her words, he took a step back, shaking his head.

"No. No that isn't right. My dad doesn't work with HYDRA." His words seemed lost as Jemma spoke over him, flicking through evidence of the contrary on the tablet in her arms.

"Radcliffe and your father, your father leaving HYDRA, your father and known HYDRA operative Melinda May. Any more proof needed or can we move on?" He looked over the photos, logically knowing there were few other reasons for the photos other than the obvious but he couldn't believe them. Vague memories of an etching in a painting, the feeling of betrayal.

"Even if he is HYDRA, they aren't the villains here. SHIELD is." He watched Jemma wince, smirking to himself. Good, she needed a little taste of her own medicine. "Yeah. And I know that you could have faked those photographs." He turned to the screen, seeing Daisy slam her hands on the table.

"Skye. My son knows nothing about all this. Sweet boy but dim where it really matters. Much like his mother in many ways." The words that came out of his fathers mouth matched the movement on screen, all of it foreign to him. This was nothing like the man he knew and if this was him in private, he dread to think what else he said about his family behind closed doors. "HYDRA doesn't need people like him, they need people like me. Strong, intimidating, nothing like my Leopold."

Fitz's skin crawled as the screen went blank, the doors beside him opening. He left the pod, sinking into the bed to absorb the information. His eyes found Jemma, seeing the guilt in her eyes that she had to sink that low.

"I'm sorry Fitz." She took a seat beside him as she spoke, her hand finding his. "I needed you to see that icing him was for a reason. When you wake up from all of this, you'll understand." He pulled his hand away, once again lost at her words. He was awake, unless this was another head splitting memory surfacing. "I need you to trust me. Please?"

Fitz rolled over facing the wall instead of her. Just because he couldn't trust his father anymore, didn't mean he automatically trusted Jemma and SHIELD. "No. No I am not trusting you that easily." He felt the weight next to him move, mind running through the memories he'd had up to that point. "There was a woman, she looked like Agnes, my assistant." He turned back around, seeing the director hesitate in the doorway. "She injected me with something and as far as I can tell I woke up in my bed. Weird thing is it's a new memory and you're involved somehow."

Jemma listened as he spoke, thinking back to the chill she'd felt when she saw his assistant a few days ago, although she supposed it was a few hours in the real world. "I suppose that has something to do with Aida. Clearly your memories are returning but without the context, I'm afraid you won't quite believe it all." She was clearly holding back and he had to trust her if he was going to get any answers.

"I promise, I'll believe you." Swinging his legs around the edge of the bed, he sat up, patting the space beside him so she could sit too. "I don't trust you but you haven't lied to me yet."

Jemma moved to sit beside him, shifting around, clearly these weren't comfortable memories for her. "Radcliffe worked on an artificial intelligence system with your assistance called Aida. She was based visually on your assistant Agnes which is why you are making a link between the two. You also created an artificial world for the purposes of training agents. Radcliffe and Aida built on it to create this world." Her voice was completely steady, something he could sense was difficult for her to control. "She created replicas of agents on our base, putting you into this world. Sh-she had the replicas attempt to bring Daisy and I to her in order to replace us all but we managed to escape."

Fitz moved closer to Jemma without thinking, his hand reaching for hers. He didn't believe her but he could sense her distress, a part of him sure that he could ease some of her pain by being close to her. "So if she didn't get you, why are you here now?" As he spoke, he felt her rest her head on his shoulder, something that felt so familiar that he didn't think to push her away. He looked down, watching her with a soft smile. Maybe he was starting to believe her a little, even if it was nonsense she was spewing out.

"Me and Daisy hacked our way in. She'd created our avatars already but without her programming we're aware of this being a false reality." Jemma looked up, hoping to find any recognition in his eyes but instead finding herself face to face with Fitz, her heart racing being so close to him. "We thought we'd be able to save you but it's more difficult than we anticipated."

Fitz nodded slowly, his head tilting lower to press his lips to hers. The moment his lips touched hers felt right, like everything in the world was in the right place. Slowly, and slightly reluctantly, he pulled away, knowing it was wrong to kiss her while she was upset. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate."

"Fitz, it's okay. We actually do that a lot in our reality." Fitz could feel the memories fighting with his version of reality. They were all flowing together now, memories that all included Jemma. Without hesitation, he leaned down, lips brushing hers again. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek, her hand lifting to his in synchronicity to his movement. He wanted to stay like this forever but they had to quickly spring apart when the door opened. Milton stood in the doorway, his eyes wide as he looked between the two of them, focusing on their joined hands closing the already small gap between them. "Milton, Fitz and I were just discussing the technological advancements we can make on the base to improve security measures."

The tension was already set between the two men, Fitz already feeling closer to Jemma, protective of her, especially around Milton. Of all people. "We're ready for briefing ma'am. We have another one."

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 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm planning to have three more chapters and to have this story completed by the time Agents of SHIELD returns. Thanks to everyone reading this story, you guys spur me on to write.


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